At a Mental Health Walk, You Photograph the Walk. Not the Faces.

On Sunday, September 13, NAMIWalks DuPage took over St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville. A 5K on the gravel paths, a one-mile color run, a kids zone and a health fair, all raising money for mental health programs here in DuPage County.

Ogi Optics was one of the sponsors. We were also there with a camera.

Most events we cover are about the people in them. A 3 on 3 tournament is about the kid who hits the shot. A gala is about the honoree. You get close, you get faces, you get the moment.

This one was different, and it's worth explaining why.

WHY WE SHOT IT WIDE

People come to a mental health walk for reasons that are theirs. Some are walking for a brother. Some are walking for themselves. Some came with a team shirt and some came alone.

None of them signed up to be the face of a mental health campaign on someone's Instagram.

So the approach was simple. Photograph the event, not the individuals. Wide shots of the course. The start and finish arches. The tents filling up before the 5K. The signs along the path. Groups walking away from the camera under the trees. The sponsor banner. The details that tell the story of the day without putting any one person's story on display.

The organizers asked for exactly that going in: highlights are great, close-ups of random attendees are not. That's the right call, and it should be the default for any cause-based event.

The result is still a full set. It just carries the day through the place and the crowd instead of through individual faces.

WHAT TO ASK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE A SENSITIVE EVENT

If you run a nonprofit event where people might not want to be identified, have this conversation before the day, not after:

• Who can be photographed up close? Usually staff, speakers, sponsors and anyone who says yes. Everyone else gets shot wide or from behind.

• Is there an opt-out signal? A colored wristband or lanyard makes it easy for attendees to say no without having to find the photographer.

• What's going public and where? Social highlights, the website and next year's registration page have different needs than an internal archive.

• Who gets tagged? Tag the organization and the sponsors. Don't tag attendees unless they asked to be.

• What do sponsors need? A clean shot of the sponsor banner and any sponsor booths makes the thank-you post easy.

A good event photographer should bring these up before you do.

THE BEHIND THE SCENES

We also filmed the day point of view, so you can see what covering an event like this actually looks like: the walk to each spot, the shutter, and the photo that came out of it. It's up on our Instagram at @ogioptics.

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY ACROSS CHICAGOLAND

We cover fundraisers, walks and runs, tournaments, galas, conferences and grand openings across Chicagoland, including DuPage County: Warrenville, Wheaton, Naperville, Winfield, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Oak Brook and Elmhurst.

Coverage is priced by the day or half day depending on scope. You get a fully edited set that works for social right away and as an archive for the rest of the year.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do you photograph an event where attendees want privacy? We agree on it before the day. Close-ups are limited to staff, speakers, sponsors and people who opt in. Everyone else is shot wide, from behind or as part of the crowd.

How much does event photography cost in Chicagoland? We quote each event based on hours, scope and deliverables. Send us your date and what you're running and we'll give you a straight number.

How fast do you deliver event photos? Standard turnaround is 24 hours. If you need a few selects the same day for social, tell us ahead of time and we can usually make it happen.

Do you cover nonprofit events in DuPage County? Yes. We work throughout DuPage and the western suburbs, as well as the rest of Chicagoland.

BOOK EVENT COVERAGE

Have a walk, fundraiser or community event coming up? Send us the date and what you're running.

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Learn more about NAMI DuPage and next year's walk at namidupage.org.